Things I Learned At Lightbox Expo 2019

Posted on September 10, 2019 by John Picacio

* Bobby Chiu and Jim Demonakos know what the hell they’re doing. Together with Nancy Cho, their advisors and volunteers, they just spearheaded the first Lightbox Expo — the most high-octane, smoothly-oiled convention debut I’ve ever seen. It was all about the art and the artists, with the kind of underwriting I’ve never seen for an art event (Weta, Pixar, Dreamworks, Sony, Netflix, etc.). Take a bow, Bobby, Jim, and ALL OF YOU.

* The next time you spot ‘The Artist / Author’ panel scheduled at Lightbox Expo? Highlight that one and get in line EARLY because this past Saturday at 10am, that line ran almost the entire length of the building!! Thanks to all who came out. I had a blast moderating mega-talents Armand Baltazar, Greg Manchess, Mia Araujo, and Iain McCaig. Hopefully Lightbox does this one again next year!

* All conventions should have vast VIP rooms with giant white leather couches and refreshments. (Bless you, Lightbox.)

* I now know how to correctly pronounce Iris Compiet‘s name. And you can too. 🙂 EEDris COHM-peet (that ‘r’ sound is very subtle….roll gently) We did a panel together and this weekend was the first time we’ve crossed paths in person. Terrific presence.* Camilla d’Errico is a genius. She’s not only one of the reigning queens of pop surrealism (knew that), but she understands branding and art marketing backwards and forwards. When she talks, take notes.* My booth neighbor Jason Chan is a good dude. We both thank the ghostly presence of Justin ‘Coro’ Kaufman for his generosity. “Looks like you guys can go double-wide.”

* Robbie Treviño (pictured left with Coro Kaufman) can devour a plate of food at terrifying speed. This man is a beast and one of my favorite rising star artists. I scored a copy of his NUMINOUS book and I love what he’s doing.* It is impossible not to like Te Hu. There should be more in the world, but there can be only one.

* One of my favorite draughtsman anywhere, Gary Villarreal, has visions toward becoming a mural artist. San Antonio building owners — get this man on speed-dial and fly him in, so we can be one of the first with a GV urban masterpiece.

* I need to start listening to Jason Seiler’s ‘Face The Truth’ podcast. Good times doing a panel with him at Lightbox.

* ArtStation is mobilizing some amazing education, outreach, and community building. Need to get up-to-speed with the new things Daniel Wade and Randall Mackey are up to. Pictured here left to right: Robbie Treviño, Gary Villarreal, me, Camilla d’Errico, and Randall.Congratulations again to Bobby, Jim, Nancy and team. This show’s success was seismic and will ripple for a long while to come. The joy and energy in that building were palpable all weekend, and there were so many things ‘done right’ — a historic weekend for sf/f art.

POP CON 2019: Thank You, SA!!

Posted on February 17, 2019 by John Picacio

San Antonio Pop Con 2019 is a wrap! Thanks for bringing the love yesterday, SA! You were amazing.

I’m hearing that on a very busy events day in the Alamo City, the attendance this year exceeded last year’s inaugural number, and when you consider that the Author and Artist Guest Rosters were loaded with legends, cult favorites, and rising stars — this was a helluva sophomore year for Pop Con. WELL DONE, SAN ANTONIO PUBLIC LIBRARY. Hats off to Pop Con Goddesses and Gods — Rhonda Woolhouse, Connie Hejl, Haley Holmes, and all of the amazing librarians and volunteers who pour their hearts and souls into this unique festival (and thanks to artist Lauren Raye Snow for helping to manage my booth).

San Antonio is the home of Alamo City Comic Con, a major Fall gathering focused upon celebrity autographings, artist appearances, and an ocean of vendors. San Antonio Book Festival is an April tradition focused upon a strict schedule of author-only appearances, but does not welcome the visual arts end of publishing in a significant way. That’s a word-only event. Both are terrific on their own, BUT that leaves a large ‘third-coast’ pop culture territory that is fast becoming the domain of San Antonio Pop Con, where authors and artists lineups are carefully curated by the SAPL, alongside appearances by voice actors and pop icons. Gaming, anime, comics, books, art, YA novels, film, and major screen media fanbases are all celebrated and welcomed here, and it makes this event a potentially potent, annual literary and arts gala.

New York Times-bestselling author Kelley Armstrong and World Fantasy Award-winning artist Gregory Manchess were the headliners this year, along with the legendary Michael Moorcock, bestselling author Shea Serrano, last year’s Pop Con Guest of Honor C. Robert Cargill, Gonzalo Alvarez, Wes Hartman, Allison Stanley, Freddy Lopez, Jr. and many more. I think with increased media support from TV and print outlets, coordinated advance publicity, and continued championing by the SAPL librarians and staff — San Antonio Pop Con can fill a void that no other event can, and it will build a flagship 21st-century culture for a town that’s so often a mere follower, but perhaps is now ready to lead, thanks to SAPL.

I’m sincerely impressed by what Rhonda and team are building here, and as always, I’m grateful to EVERYONE who swung by my booth to score my art swag and especially all of the Loteria Cards, Posters and Prints this weekend. It was a GREAT day. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it, SAPL!

(Photos by @thepunisher210, Allison Stanley, @casuallyalfred, Lisa Juarez, Tammy Wadzeck, Justin Burke, Dianna Marie Garza, Gonzalo Alvarez, Gregory Manchess.)

Coming To San Antonio Pop Con!

Posted on February 13, 2019 by John Picacio

The 2nd Annual San Antonio Pop Con is almost upon us, happening at the downtown Central Library, this Saturday, February 16th, from 9am-4pm. As you can see above, the roster of artists and authors is EPIC — ranging from legends like Michael Moorcock and Gregory Manchess to bestsellers such as Kelley Armstrong and Shea Serrano, as well as fan favorites Nicky Drayden, Gonzalo Alvarez, C. Robert Cargill, and more.

And yes, I’ll be there too — bringing my latest Loteria Grande Cards, Posters and Prints — and I know many of you have been waiting to get your hands on the new ‘La Musica’ Loteria Grande Cards. I’ll have them in stock at Pop Con along with the debut of the brand-new ‘La Palma’ Grande Card! Loteria Grande Cards by John Picacio (Published by Lone Boy) Many of you have been requesting various giclee prints of my book cover art and Loteria imagery so I’ll have a limited supply of those large prints for sale, along with my limited-run Loteria Posters. Here’s a look at the ones that I plan to have available at Pop Con. Quantities are extremely limited. Artworks by John Picacio. If you see one that you want, I highly recommend that you vouch for it in advance. OR if you see an image on my website, and you want a print of that, please let me know by Thursday, February 14th at 5pm CST, and I’ll make sure you can pick it up at Pop Con. Giclee Prints are printed on thick art paper, sleeved in an archival bag with archival backing board, and signed by me.

I normally sell these for $100 to $125, but at Pop Con, they will be available for only $75 each. If you live in the San Antonio metro area, and have been waiting to get your hands on my Loteria merchandise — this is the chance you’ve been waiting for. Apologies that I’m not able to make this offer available for mail-order sales. This is only for sales that are picked up at San Antonio Pop Con this week.

For those that don’t live in the area — don’t worry. I’ll be making the Loteria Grande Cards available online soon, and everyone on the Loteria List will receive the email alert.

See you at Pop Con this Saturday, San Antonio!

Dream On

Posted on March 18, 2018 by John Picacio

I’m back in studio after spending most of this past week in the Bay Area. I did several rounds of outreach talks and presentations at San Jose State University, discussing sf/f art, career paths, The Mexicanx Initiative, Worldcon 76, and more. The kids were passionate and amazing. SJSU has an incredible Mexican-American Studies program and cultural heritage emphasis, and last year when I was asked to be Worldcon’s Artist Guest of Honor, I knew I wanted to reach out to this university because of their excellence in those departments. SJSU is also located within a few minutes’ walk from the site of this year’s Worldcon. As expected, there was a fantastic range of racial diversity, but I was especially glad to see so many DREAMers and Mexicanx in the audiences. I hope to see them again when they attend their first Worldcon and first Hugo Awards Ceremony this August.

Thank you to Kathryn Blackmer Reyes, Vanessa Fernández, Julia Curry, Andrew Blanton, Lily Pinedo Gangai, Marcos Pizarro, Sonja Daniels, Bonnie Sugiyama, and everyone who made my visit possible. Kathryn did incredible work, championing and arranging this endeavor. It would not have happened without her leadership. And again — MUCHAS GRACIAS to all of the students who were so incredible all week long.

After the SJSU appearances, I did a Loteria Game Night and Poster Signing at Borderlands Books in San Francisco. Thank you to everyone who came to play on a rainy night, and especially to Alan Beatts and Jude Feldman for hosting. I know many of the friends that night will be attending Worldcon this summer and I can’t wait to see them again.

California Dreaming

Posted on March 5, 2018 by John Picacio

I’ll be in the Bay Area this month — talking art, process, Game of Thrones, Loteria, The Mexicanx Initiative, World Science Fiction Convention, and how to live the life you most want. Here’s where you can find me.

WEDNESDAY • MARCH 14TH

Daytime: Student-Only Appearances at San Jose State University

5:30pm at San Jose State University: “The Art of John Picacio” — a FREE, open-to-the-public slideshow lecture about my science fiction/fantasy art career, featuring working process of my book cover artworks and product illustrations for properties such as Star Trek, the X-Men, and George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, plus my own reimagining of the classic Loteria cards. There will be Q+A, as well as a short reception immediately after. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library • Room 225)

ALSO: Heads up, Mexicanx (people of Mexican American heritage or Mexican citizens)! If you’re a fan of science fiction / fantasy literature or art, or aspiring sf/f professional, and have always wanted to attend a World Science Fiction Convention, let me know why you should come to Worldcon in San Jose and you might just get sponsored for a free Attending Membership ($230 value) to this summer’s convention, courtesy of The Mexicanx Initiative. Offer open to SJSU students and faculty. Drop a comment below, if interested.

THURSDAY • MARCH 15TH

Daytime: Student-Only Appearances at San Jose State University

7pm at San Francisco’s Borderlands Books: LOTERIA GAME NIGHT + POSTER SIGNING — Come win fantastic prizes! I’ll be hosting several rounds of Loteria, the popular Mexican game of chance (AKA ‘Mexican Bingo’). It’s free, fast-paced and easy to play. Open to the public. I’ll also be signing my limited-run Loteria Grande Art Cards and Posters while supplies last!

See you soon, Northern California!

San Antonio Pop Con 2018!

Posted on March 4, 2018 by John Picacio

Snapshots from the first San Antonio Pop Con, hosted by the SA Main Library. Photos by San Antonio Public Library, IG: Gojira22, Laura Burress, IG: leppahcetssalc, Allison Stanley Art, Jason Limon, John Picacio.

San Antonio, we just might have turned a corner toward the better yesterday.

I’ve seen comic book and pop culture events come and go through this city. Amongst them, we witness all of the hard work that Apple De La Fuente and Austin Rogers put into Alamo City Comic Con every year. Their show largely focuses upon celebrity culture, while the San Antonio Book Festival carries a very different model, somewhat evocative of the larger Texas Book Festival. Between these models lies a lush, wild frontier where science fiction/fantasy authors and well-branded, independent artists of the fantastic can thrive within their own event, if allied with the right partnership.

I think The San Antonio Public Library may have just blazed that very trail for this city, possibly for years to come, depending on how they play it from here. Yesterday, Saturday, March 3rd, the first San Antonio Pop Con happened at downtown’s Central Library, and San Antonio embraced it. The people came and they KEPT coming all day long. They bought books and sold out titles. They bought artwork and prints by the stack. They filled the gaming tables. They made their own wands and cosplayed their hearts out. This was not just a day-long event where people discovered and met some of the best authors and artists in the sf/f industry. It was not just a day of loud, energized, young, diverse people having fun. This was a day where San Antonio said the library is cool.

‘Cool’ is a precious, elusive thing, and you can’t calculate it. You can’t just put it on and take it off like a jacket. You can’t buy it. You either are, or you aren’t. And on Saturday, Pop Con branded SA’s Central Library as a temple of cool because entire families by the thousands came to meet talented writers, artists and craftspeople they can’t meet anywhere else in one place. They came to see DR. STRANGE co-screenwriter C. Robert Cargill talk film commentary while screening the blockbuster film. They came to see former Pixar artist Armand Baltazar talk about his epic illustrated novel TIMELESS, soon to be a major motion picture, produced by Ridley Scott. They got books signed by visionary authors like Stina Leicht, Xavier Garza, Robert Jackson Bennett, David Bowles, Christopher Brown and more. They bought prints and talked process with singular artists like Jason Limon, Freddy Lopez Jr., Allison Stanley, and Matt Frank. And yes, I’m grateful to every single San Antonian that swarmed my own table looking to score some Loteria Karma. 🙂

This was a rainy, drizzly, drippy Saturday with a lot of competition for San Antonio’s weekend attention, and the city lined up bigtime for an event where the authors and artists were the pop culture. That doesn’t happen without a dedicated staff led by two visionaries who dreamed this up — Rhonda Woolhouse and Daniel Garcia. It doesn’t happen without Haley Holmes, Marcie Hernandez and a never-say-die team of librarians who believed this could happen and *made* it happen. It doesn’t happen without volunteers hungry for this city to be something more. It doesn’t happen without people like Rhonda thinking through the details — such as commissioning her chef brother to make delicious beef and sweet potato empanadas and gourmet delicacies for the pros’ green room, delighting even the most jaded veterans. It doesn’t happen without people like Rene Guzman, Randy Beamer, David Martin Davies, Stephanie Guerra and other media boosting the signal.

Pop Con was the SAPL’s first attempt at an event like this, and it was a hit.

It made this city look like it can be world-class, providing experiences that no other SA event is currently built to do. Let’s see if SAPL decides to swing for a sequel in 2019.

CONDFW XVII

Posted on February 6, 2018 by John Picacio

Hey, Dallas/Fort Worth: Here’s where you can find me at ConDFW XVII, February 16th-18th. I’ll be signing Loteria Grande Cards and Posters, plus a wide selection of my book cover art and A Song of Ice and Fire prints. See you there!

FRIDAY

2pm-4pm • Dealers Room

4pm • The Art of A Song of Ice and Fire
(Main Programming)

5pm-6pm • Dealers Room

7pm • Opening Ceremonies
(Main Programming)

SATURDAY

10am-2pm • Dealers Room

2pm • The Art of John Picacio
(Main Programming)

3pm • Loteria!
(Main Programming)

4pm-6pm • Dealers Room

SUNDAY

10am-11am • Dealers Room

11am • Creating Cover Illustrations That Sell
(Programming 3)

12noon-1pm • Dealers Room

The Mexicanx Initiative

Posted on January 28, 2018 by John Picacio

As Artist Guest of Honor of the upcoming 76th World Science Fiction Convention, I’ve decided to create ‘The Mexicanx Initiative’ — an effort to sponsor Worldcon attending memberships and award them to FIFTY Mexicanx artists, writers, filmmakers, culture shapers, and fans. We need more Mexicanx representation in science fiction and fantasy, and together with my incredible sponsoring teammates, we aim to do that at this year’s convention.

So how does a Mexicanx sf/f professional or fan apply for one of these sponsored memberships? Simple. Answer this:

“Why do you want to attend this Worldcon?”

The rules are short and sweet. You must be Mexicanx — that is, of Mexican ancestry, whether a citizen of Mexico, Mexican American, Mexican Canadian, etc. As the sole judge and jury, I will review all submissions. I will research candidates as best I can. There is no word count limit, but please don’t craft an epic. Keep your statement simple — even something as short as 100 words can be effective. Just make it you. Make it from the heart. You may post it here, or email me. In some cases, I may ask if it would be OK to email or phonechat a few followup questions.

This business, this field, this life is about relationships. It’s about your stories and your dreams. I’m doing this because our world needs more Mexicanx stories, more Mexicanx sf/f pros and fans, and more DREAMers. To own our future, we must own our narratives, lest we continue to be villainized, abused, and butchered. It’s time for us to represent, gente.

My amazing sponsoring teammates so far are:

• Author John Scalzi (THE COLLAPSING EMPIRE)

• Photographer Ctein

• Author Ty Franck (one-half of James S.A. Corey)

• Author Christopher Brown (TROPIC OF KANSAS)

• Super-agent Joanna Volpe (President, New Leaf Literary & Media)

• Super-fan Chris Rose

• Super-fans John and Christine O’Halloran

• Author Mary Robinette Kowal (THE CALCULATING STARS)

• Author Kate Elliott (COLD MAGIC)

• Author and editor Richard Flores IV (FACTOR FOUR)

• Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction (Kathi Overton, Tom Schaad, Mike Zipser)

• Super-fan Kat Angeli

• Super-fan Canadiense Anónima

• SF in SF and Rina Weisman

• Super-fan Randall Shepherd

• Super-fan Elizabeth B. McCarty

• AMAZING STORIES / The Experimenter Publishing Company

• Author Mur Lafferty and husband Jim Van Verth

• BWAWA (The Baltimore-Washington Area Worldcon Association)

• ALAMO (Alamo Literary Arts Maintenance Organization)

I’ve wanted to launch this endeavor since I was first named a Worldcon GoH back in August, but only recently has it achieved liftoff — and wow, is it ever rising FAST. I announced on Wednesday, January 24th, that I would sponsor two Worldcon memberships, and within minutes, my good friend Scalzi offered to match with two of his own. We continue to gain teammates and we now have FOURTEEN sponsored memberships to distribute.

Shoutout to Mexicanas: So far, I’ve received very few submissions for these memberships from the ladies, while witnessing a strong wave from the men. Keep those submissions coming, one and all — but women, please don’t let the men have all of these memberships.

UPDATE (2/24/18): Thanks to my incredible teammates, we have now achieved our goal of 50 Sponsorships, which means a total of 50 Worldcon Attending Memberships will be granted to deserving Mexicanx pros and fans in the coming weeks. I want to thank ALAMO (Randy Shepherd, Scott Zrubek, Bill Parker, and the entire Board) for being the party that pushed this sponsorship effort across the finish line. Muchas gracias, all!!

Thank you to Worldcon 76 for its very generous support and enthusiasm for The Initiative. Our team goal is to bring FIFTY of the best Mexicanx creators and fans to this year’s convention, and together, we will make that dream happen.

In Loteria We Trust.

WORLDS BEYOND GALLERY: VIEWS AND NOTES

Posted on December 4, 2016 by John Picacio

It’s been several weeks since Worlds Beyond Gallery and Alamo City Comic Con, and even though I posted a brief post-show ‘thank you’ last month, you can enjoy some additional photos of the event below. First, I have some wrap-up thoughts to share. This exhibition / vendor model was a collaboration between The Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists (headed by President Sara Felix), Alamo City Comic Con (featuring the combined brainpower of Apple De La Fuente, Austin Rogers, and Wes Hartman), and me. Media-centric pop culture and comic book conventions are proliferating across the country, but very of these cons have successful models for booking and presenting top-quality professional illustrator talents. Unfortunately, when these shows feature such artists, they usually mix them into Artist Alley situations with sequential art pros, who are themselves competing with a tsunami of unlicensed knockoff art product. The result is generally less than optimal. Until Worlds Beyond, there have been precious few (if any) successful efforts to brand, present, promote, market and cultivate that audience within major media / pop-culture-centric conventions. San Diego Comic Con International does it well in its own way, but with the growing number of mid-market regional pop-culture / comic conventions, there seem to be experiments worth trying and a void worth filling. That was one vector that led to Worlds Beyond Gallery happening, but there was another equally important one.

On a personal note — I see my pro art career shifting toward more of a ‘creator-owned’ model, developing my own intellectual properties, and writing / illustrating my own stories. That doesn’t mean I’m jettisoning my career as a freelance illustrator, but it does mean investing more time on my own material than I did for the first fifteen years of my career. I’m not alone in this career shape, as major illustrators such as Brom, Peter Mohrbacher, Ruth Sanderson, Jeffrey Alan Love, and Todd Lockwood have made similar choices, along with Shaun Tan, Gregory Manchess, Wylie Beckert, Greg Ruth, Tara McPherson, and a rising number of visually-centric entrepreneurs. That means new stories, new characters, new properties, new art, and new visions, as opposed to just talented artists re-drawing other people’s properties. It means the visual artist is the creative fountainhead and owner of his/her destiny, and I think that renaissance is worth celebrating with pop-culture audiences craving the next shock of the new. That curatorial focus coupled with the need to connect new streams of art audiences with new visual creators was the inspiration for Worlds Beyond Gallery. (Big salute to Pete Barnstrom for the terrific WBG promo video, and Lou Anders doing his own thing with the separate ACCC / Young Adventurers literary track, as well as all of the ACCC volunteers and WBG booth assistants).

Patrick and Jeanne Wilshire and the exhibition / vendor model they created at Illuxcon deserve a huge shoutout. So do Arnie and Cathy Fenner and what they have cultivated with Spectrum Fantastic Art Live (now working alongside John Fleskes). Those two shows were HUGE inspirations for what was done with Worlds Beyond Gallery, but they’re also independent events — a VERY different proposition from what WBG may have just established.

Worlds Beyond Gallery marked the creation of a working boutique model that can now be evolved, expanded, and improved. All of the artists brought their ‘A-game’ and considering this was a first-time effort, I think the event was a remarkable success. Everyone presented their latest creator-owned works, including a wide array of original artwork available for buying and up-close enjoyment, such as my first official Loteria original art exhibition. Throngs of fans old and new bought merchandise and art from all of the artists. Representatives from other major conventions expressed amazement and awe when they saw the foot traffic and the polish of the display and exhibitions. Who knows — maybe someday we’ll look back upon this as a game changer. Sara and I have been exchanging thoughts. Once the ACCC guys have recovered from staging a huge convention, they’ll possibly have a thought or two about what they experienced. We’ll look at the options and see where this goes. I’m excited about the possibilities. Onward to the next evolution.

SETTING UP: Gallery walls were over eight feet tall and sixteen inches thick.

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME: Fans flowed through Worlds Beyond Gallery all weekend long. The format of the space wowed congoers, and created an intimate art experience not previously seen at this convention.

IN LOTERIA WE TRUST: Worlds Beyond Gallery marked my first official Loteria original art exhibition — displaying eight of my original drawings together for the first time. The first series of my Loteria Grande art cards completely sold out at this show and won’t be reprinted in that format.

LA SIRENA AND COMPANY: Here’s a closer look at four of my Loteria originals, as we head toward Brom’s display.

LOST GODS: Brom exhibited some of the original paintings from his new LOST GODS book.

BEFORE THE STORM: Brom encouraged fans to venture into his booth to view originals up close, as did all of the WBG artists.

SWARMED: This is what Brom’s booth looked like for much of the weekend. He signed books and prints galore, and his LOST GODS book was a hot item.

GOLDEN KEY: Ruth Sanderson presented a terrific display of originals and prints. Her scratchboard work is stunning to behold.

WELCOME TO ANGELARIUM: Here’s Peter Mohrbacher’s assistant Sasha holding down the fort, as Pete exhibited a wide array of limited-run prints and merchandise related to his ANGELARIUM universe.

STRENGTH IN SIMPLICITY: Jeffrey Alan Love presented a gridded array of over forty small original works, hung with mere binder clips. It was an elegant presentation that encouraged art traffic and sales, while promoting his debut graphic novel NOTES FROM THE SHADOWED CITY– which sold out before show’s end.

NO PHOTOS PLEASE: Dragon artist extraordinaire Todd Lockwood presented a gorgeous display of limited-edition prints, posters, and merchandise, while autographing his new book THE SUMMER DRAGON all weekend long.

DRAGON LOVE: I don’t know how many copies of THE SUMMER DRAGON Todd shipped to Worlds Beyond, but it was a lot, and few remained by show’s end.

TAKING IT ALL IN: It was fun to see people step into the Worlds Beyond space and not want to leave. It truly felt like a mothership of the illustrative arts landed in the middle of a comic book convention.

2016 WORLDS BEYOND GALLERY ARTISTS: (l to r) Ruth Sanderson, Brom, Peter Mohrbacher, John Picacio, Todd Lockwood, Jeffrey Alan Love

And if that’s not enough for you — here’s some more Worlds Beyond Gallery fun. 🙂

Worlds Beyond Gallery!

Posted on August 30, 2016 by John Picacio

If you love science fiction / fantasy art, San Antonio, TX is the place-to-be this Halloween weekend. Alamo City Comic Con and the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists are bringing together six major fantasy illustrators for an unforgettable weekend of original art, merchandise, and autographings. The event is called Worlds Beyond Gallery and it features a lineup of professional art talent unlike any previously seen in San Antonio. I’m proud to be part of this inaugural art roster, joining Brom, Todd Lockwood, Ruth Sanderson, Jeffrey Alan Love, and Peter Mohrbacher as this year’s guests. Your WBG admission is free with the purchase of an Alamo City Comic Con admission badge, and it all happens at ACCC this October 28-30 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

ACCC and ASFA are offering San Antonio the chance to help expand the arts tradition and expectations in this city. As a native San Antonian, I’ve often heard locals lament that big cities such as New York, LA, Seattle, and Philadelphia score the coolest new art happenings, while SA misses out. Opportunities are rare for a city to prove itself as an arts leader and build a burgeoning fantasy art market for which other cities can only dream. That’s the opportunity facing San Antonio this October. What can you do to further the cause? It’s easy.

BE THERE. Get your ACCC badge today and make Worlds Beyond one of your must-see Halloween destinations this year. Be inspired by some of the most imaginative artists working in sf/f, and enjoy one of America’s fastest-growing pop culture conventions.

SPREAD THE BUZZ. Visit the Worlds Beyond Gallery Facebook Page and give it a ‘Like’. To receive updates on the show, visit the Worlds Beyond Gallery Event Page and let them know you’re ‘Interested’ or ‘Going’. These gestures may seem super-easy, but they’re both a big boost. If you don’t do Facebook — no worries. Use your favorite social media to tell your art-loving friends about Worlds Beyond.

SEIZE THE MOMENT. Start planning your Worlds Beyond visit today. This will be the first appearance in San Antonio for many of the featured artists, and their art is coveted by collectors throughout the world. If you’re an art collector, this will be a rare chance to acquire originals and prints directly from the artists without the perils of online buying and shipping. PRO TIP: When you come to ACCC, make WBG one of your early booth destinations. The artists are bringing a limited supply of originals and merchandise with them, and much of it will likely sell quickly. If you’re an aspiring illustrator or student, bring your portfolio. Socialize. Ask questions. Use this opportunity to improve your craft. PRO TIP: Be courteous, and choose the time wisely when asking for portfolio advice. If an artist has customers waiting, let he/she attend to those transactions. Be patient and wait for an appropriate moment to approach for advice.

CREATORS FTW! Yes, all of the artists in this WBG lineup are major professional artists who have enjoyed successful commercial art careers, but all of the artists were chosen because they’re each developing their own creative properties. Some are writer / illustrators. Some are developing intellectual properties and merchandising lines. Some are doing both. All are building creator-owned careers and Worlds Beyond was designed by ACCC and ASFA to celebrate that. It’s true that amongst the six, you’ll see artwork commissioned by familiar franchises such as Star Trek, the X-Men, Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, A Song of Ice and Fire, and many, many more, but what sets this event apart is it’s an exhibition of contemporary fantastic art and storymaking wholly owned by the visual creators. This isn’t just the future of art, folks. This is the now, and I’m proud to be part of a growing number of pro artists helping to blaze that path for others to follow and succeed.

HALLOWEEN COSPLAY ON THE RIVERWALK!! Need I say more? How epic is the cosplay going to be at this show?? Show off your costume with all of us at Worlds Beyond, even if your best disguise is yourself. 🙂 We can’t wait to see who you become. We can’t wait to see you there.

(Video by Pete Barnstrom for Alamo City Comic Con.)

Comicpalooza 2016

Posted on June 20, 2016 by John Picacio

Back in studio after a weekend guesting at Comicpalooza 2016 in Houston. Great con, great fans.

Thank you, HTown, for buying every single Loteria Grande pack that I brought with me. Sold out of my stock at the show. Loteria Posters were flying. Loved meeting so many of you and watching the Loteria Army grow.

Thanks to all of the writers and artists who swung by my Artists Alley booth to visit. Really enjoyed talking shop and drinking scotch with C. Robert Cargill and Adam Rakunas.

Thank you to John Simons, JJ Shaw, Mark Schmidt, Vijay Kale, James Burns, and the entire CP team for giving their all to put on a dynamite convention. Comicpalooza reminds me a lot of Alamo City Comic Con here in SA, in that it’s an event run on heart and soul. There are a lot of volunteers giving everything they have so that fans and pros have a great experience. I love the way they mix some of the writers and artists into the celebrity area. I love the little details they do like providing banners for all of the guests, including the creatives. It’s smart business. This was my first time guesting at Comicpalooza and next year, I hope to bring even more Loteria Lovers and ASoIaF fans to the show.

Thank You, Balticon 50!

Posted on June 1, 2016 by John Picacio

Cover art by me for a limited-edtion GRRM hardcover novella, exclusively available via the Baltimore Science Fiction Society.

Great times this past weekend at Balticon 50, where George R. R. Martin and I were Guests of Honor, along with Mark Van Name, Fran Wilde, Alexandra Duncan, Kim Stanley Robinson, and an impressive roster of past GoHs such as Charles Stross, Peter Beagle, Connie Willis, Jo Walton, Joe Haldeman, Larry Niven, Phil & Kaja Foglio, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, and more. The level of creative talent in the building felt like a miniature version of Worldcon.

GRRM and me during the onstage “Conversation” event. That was fun. 🙂

Huge congratulations to Nora Echeverria and the entire con com for achieving the single largest Balticon attendance ever. THANK YOU to all of the con attendees who packed the seats for my programming items– and especially my Loteria game session and onstage interview with GRRM, which were filled to capacity. Great job by Sarah Pinsker and Michael R. Underwood on their Dangerous Voices Variety Hour event. Thank you to Fan Guests of Honor Martin Deusch, Shirley Avery, Sue, Nora, Anna, Meredith, Filthy + the Art Show staff for setting up a terrific Art Show and thank you to all who made it a big success as almost all of my A Song of Ice and Fire artwork sold out, along with so many framed originals and prints. I sold out of Loteria Grande Card Sets and signed countless items at my Artists Alley table. Before the con even began, George and I pre-signed 500 limited-edition copies of a new GRRM hardcover novella that I illustrated called In The House of the Worm. (Special thanks to Sean Wallace for making it happen.) This convention was an intense and absolute joy.

I had a blast spending time with George, Parris, Lenore, and Jo. Enjoyed the conversations and quality minutes that I had with so many pros and fans. Always much love and best of times with The Hardest Buckaroos — the Brotherhood Without Banners — Martha, Doug, Christine, Eddie, Neal, Yags, Pod, Kristina, Dave, Douglas, Caryn, Meg, Bill and everyone. Special shoutout to my IMPALED PHALLUS bandmates! 😉

So many people gave their all to make this con happen, as is always the case with fan-run conventions (thank you, Allison, Adrienne, Joe, Roy, Anna, and all). Did Balticon have massive problems with its programming schedule? Absolutely. And yet, thanks to the grit and resilience of diehard volunteers, I saw nothing but joy from every fan I encountered. Romeo Capriotti, this is for you. (Thea, change the words to “woman” and “ma’am” and same applies.) You did a great job, Romeo. Best GoH Liaison I could ask for.

Linda Wenzelburger: Your take on my “La Calavera” is one of my favorite cosplays EVER! Gorgeous work! Made my con. <applause>

Linda Wenzelburger’s completely awesome “La Calavera” cosplay (Inset: Cropped detail of my “La Calavera” Loteria artwork.)

You were amazing, Balticon. In closing, I’m going to share some words from Nora, who chaired this event. This is from her FB page, and I hope she won’t mind. I think it adds some much-needed context.

“i want to thank everyone who helped organize, work, volunteer and attend Balticon 50. You ALL made this an amazing show.

In particular i want to thank Jonette Butler for coming up with the idea for bringing back our Alumni Guests of Honor and for being the driving force behind that and our fundraising projects. Because of her, we were able to raise well over $55,000 AND bring back every Guest of Honor Alumnus who wished to attend. And they all had a wonderful time.”

And especially the following words:

“At the end of the day, Balticon is run by volunteers. We do not take a salary, we have jobs and families and other obligations, i.e., LIFE. We work hard but we make mistakes. We aim for the moon and sometimes we hit it and sometimes we crash back down to earth. We all come together to do this out of our love for the genre and of fandom.”

Well said, Nora — and thank you again, Balticon and the Baltimore Science Fiction Society! It was an honor to be with you!

George R. R. Martin and Nora Echeverria at the Balticon 50 Guest of Honor Dinner.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE OF ART

Posted on December 13, 2015 by John Picacio

The Force is strong with you, San Antonio.

Yesterday’s STAR WARS: THE FORCE OF ART exhibition at the Centro De Artes in downtown SA was a celebration of all things Jedi and Sith, and it was a phenomenal event. Texas A&M University / San Antonio owns the facility and said it’s the most successful audience attraction that the building has had since the days of the Museo Alameda. It was a one-day art extravaganza sponsored by Alamo City Comic Con, and there was a line of fans out the door and down the steps before the show even opened.

Waves of huge crowds surged all day long, despite rainy weather and a busy holiday shopping season. I was one of the featured artists and presented a large-format conceptual sketch for a Yoda tarot card (pictured above). Artworks by Drew Struzan, Stephan Martiniere, Adam Hughes, Terese Nielsen, Tommy Lee Edwards, Scott Harben, Lawrence Reynolds, Mike ‘Comp’ Arguello, Adrian De La Cruz, Alfredo Lopez Jr., Gary Villarreal, and so many more made for a dynamite collection.

Apple De La Fuente and members of the 501st at Star Wars: The Force of Art in San Antonio.

This is the first time Alamo City Comic Con has ever organized and sponsored an art event of this type, and huge congrats to Apple De La Fuente, Austin Rogers, Wes Hartman, and crew for a bigtime success. Special thanks to Brandon Oliver, the 501st Legion, ACCC volunteers, and the South Texas Collectors Expo as well. Saturday’s show planted another seed toward San Antonio becoming a pop culture art mecca, and ACCC has already announced that they’re sponsoring their next museum celebration on March 19th celebrating ‘Batman v. Superman’.

It was a great day for San Antonio, and I think there are more great ones ahead for this kind of art in this city.

Art by Scott Harben.

Art by Stephan Martiniere.

Art by Mike ‘Comp’ Arguello.

Art by Drew Struzan.

Art by Lawrence Reynolds.

Art by Gary Villarreal.

Art by Adrian De La Cruz.

Ready for ACCC 2015!

Posted on September 8, 2015 by John Picacio

Come see me at Alamo City Comic Con this weekend. I’ll be there in Artist Boulevard at C17. VIPS: For Thursday night ONLY, I’ll have a 10% discount for you on all merchandise, including my George R. R. Martin / A Song of Ice and Fire archival prints, Loteria cards and posters, Star Trek and X-Men art and much more.

In addition, all weekend long, everyone who makes a purchase from my table will score a free Star Wars 3D playing card, while supplies last.

I can’t wait to play Loteria on Saturday at 4pm in Room 205. Get there early. I’ll have terrific prizes for you, and it will be epic. 🙂

I’m amazed what Apple De La Fuente, Wes Hartman, Austin Rogers, Garrett Killian, and crew have done to build this event. This will be the third annual ACCC and San Antonio has never seen a pop culture event like this one. I’m stoked and honored to be an ACCC guest again.

Let’s do this, SA! 🙂

“You Can Always Go Downtown”

Posted on August 31, 2015 by John Picacio

Hey, San Antonio: I’m presenting a lecture and slideshow about my science fiction/fantasy book cover art career, including a look at my George R. R. Martin / A Song of Ice and Fire calendar art, Star Trek cover art, and my new Loteria work. The Central Library downtown (600 Soledad Street) is the place to be at 6:30pm on Tuesday, September 1st. The event is free of charge and open to the public. Kids and adults both welcome. Even better? Parking in the Library’s garage is also FREE that night.

There will be a reception after the presentation, and I’ll have a limited supply of my Loteria Grande cards and posters available for sale there, as well as a selection of art prints.

See you tomorrow night, SA! 🙂

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